Preferred Citation note

Biographical/Historical note

Hailing from Centralia, Washington, Mahlon Merrick graduated from Washington State University in 1923 with bachelors’ degrees in both education and music. After a brief teaching experience in schools in the Redmond, Washington, Merrick devoted himself to a career in music.

Beginning as a saxophonist at the Old Italian Gardens in Spokane’s Davenport Hotel, Merrick’s career led him to Hollywood where he was associated with a number of popular television series including
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and
The Bob Cummings Show. For thirty years he remained the musical director for comedian Jack Benny. A versatile composer, a number of his works appear under the pseudonym, "Gene LaGrande."

In 1965, Mr. Merrick retired to Palm Springs, California. In September of the following year, however, he made a guest appearance at Washington State University for the first performance of the Cougar Marching Song which he had composed for his alma mater. On August 7, 1969, at the age of 69 years, Mr. Merrick succumbed to cancer.

Scope and Contents note

The Mahlon Merrick collection of musical compositions includes marches, television background music and themes, listening music, an opera, and a symphony. The
Gillette Look Sharp March is Merrick's best known composition.

Arrangement note

Series 1, Compositions and Arrangements, consists of sheet music, orchestrations, and original manuscripts. Although most of these compositions are unrelated, two comprehensive works are included: the opera,
Sun Stone and the symphony
Song of Youth.

Series 2, Miscellaneous Papers, consists of Mr. Merrick’s arrangements of the background music for the National Football League television programs, mementos of his career, and compositions by his arranger, Carl Brandt.

The compositions are arranged in alphabetical order in each series; however, the indicated oversize material has been placed at the end of the collection in alphabetical sequence.